A rich collection of work from the Trident Productions imprint – a mid 60s company based in San Francisco, and home to a great array of really groovy artists! The sounds here are a fair bit sweeter than more famous SF work of the late 60s – often a mix of folk rock and jangle-pop that's got plenty of Sunshine touches, but a bit more depth overall – really pivotal work that shows the first murmurings of the more sophisticated sounds that would soon mark the Bay Area scene. A few of the artists are quite well known – and although Trident was never its own label, the company placed some of its bigger acts on Verve, A&M, and other companies. 2CD package features a huge array of notes telling the full Trident story – and features 44 titles that include "Brave New World" by Thorinshield, "Places I've Been" by Randy Steirling, "I'll Make You Happy" by Frank May, "I Really Want You" by The Justice League, "You Were On My Mind" by We Five, "Stranger In A Strange Land" by Blackburn & Snow, "Time" by The New Tweedy Brothers, "Here I Stand" by The All Nite Flight, "61 Clay" by Ron Nagle, "Peaceful Times" by The Crystal Set, and "This Time" by Ron Davies. CD

A totally cool little compilation – kind of the sonic equivalent of a night at the drive-in movies! The package digs through some really raunchy exploitation rock of the 60s – gritty garage tracks, freaky exotic numbers, and other rough-edged gems – then mixes the music with rare horror film trailers and movie dialogue from the time – creating a combination that's totally out of this world! There's a creepy feel to the whole thing – an edgey sensibility that goes way beyond the novelty mode you might expect – and which really gets at the eerie undercurrent that lingered in the farther reaches of film production during these glory days. The collection was first cooked up two decades ago, but it's just as powerful today – a must for any fan of the Norton, Kicks, Svengoolie, or Roctober side of the spectrum! Titles include "Shook Out Of Shape" by Carol Kay & The Stone Tones, "You Is A Rat Pfink" by Ron Haydock & The Boppers, "Twist Fever" by Arch Hall & The Archers, "The Lemon Grove Kids" by Don Snyder & Pee Wee Flyn, "The Bird's The Word" by Rocky Roberts & The Airedales, "She Devils Instrumental" by R Lewis Band, and lots more great stuff – including trailers from Girls From SIN, Maniacs Are Loose, Thrill Killers, Strange Rampage, Hypnovista, and lots more weird movies! CD

A hip assortment of hard-wailing tunes all put together by New York DJ Alan Freed – part of his brief recording career for Coral Records, where he worked with some surprisingly hip artists! Most of the material here was originally issued under the names of Alan Freed Rock N Roll Big Band or The King's Henchmen – both groups that were really studio assemblages headed by Freed, but featuring some very heavy tenor work from King Curtis and Sam "The Man" Taylor – both of whom really bring a lot to the set! Other key players include Ernie Hayes on piano and Kenny Burrell on guitar – the latter of whom plays in a surprisingly rocking vein that's quite different than his Blue Note work. Arrangements are likely by Sammy Lowe, Leroy Kirkland, and/or Ernie Wilkins – and the material is a nice mix of swinging R&B instrumental styles from the 50s! CD features 24 tracks in all – including "Homework", "Two Good Guys", "Street With A Beat", "Cool Papa", "All Tore Up", "Tow Head", "Fandango Rock", "Gosah", "Shufflin", "Night Ride", "Flip Flap", and "Big N Bad". CD

A killer album of crossover soul from the mid 70s – one that dropped like a bomb when it hit, and gave this UK group a number of big hits in America! Keyboardist Rod Temperton wrote all the tracks on the album – and he's got keen talent for both funky numbers and ballads. If soul stations played album side specials the way that classic rock stations do, side one would be in heavy rotation – as it kicks off with the funky title cut, rolls into the hit "Boogie Nights", cuts to the sample classic "Ain't No Half Steppin" (forever made famous by Big Daddy Kane), and steps into the moody ballad "Always & Forever". It's hard to beat that lineup, but side two does a pretty good job – and includes a similar mix of titles like "Super Soul Sister", "All You Do Is Dial", and "Sho'nuff Must Be Love". CD

A killer album of crossover soul from the mid 70s – one that dropped like a bomb when it hit, and gave this UK group a number of big hits in America! Keyboardist Rod Temperton wrote all the tracks on the album – and he's got keen talent for both funky numbers and ballads. If soul stations played album side specials the way that classic rock stations do, side one would be in heavy rotation – as it kicks off with the funky title cut, rolls into the hit "Boogie Nights", cuts to the sample classic "Ain't No Half Steppin" (forever made famous by Big Daddy Kane), and steps into the moody ballad "Always & Forever". It's hard to beat that lineup, but side two does a pretty good job – and includes a similar mix of titles like "Super Soul Sister", "All You Do Is Dial", and "Sho'nuff Must Be Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A completely amazing bit of psychedelia – recorded in Vancouver by the very young Jay Kaye, who was just 15 at the time – but done with a sound that easily rivals some of the more trippy classics from the big names of the late 60s! The record's got this perfect blend of tunefulness and way-out modes – songs that are certainly sometimes as catchy as material by the Beatles, both other times maybe as blue as work by the Tims of the time, Buckley and Hardin – served up with instrumentation that often echoes Eastern modes, but in the right sort of subtle way – mixed with a bit of fuzz and echo. Way more than the usual obscure oddity set – one that truly has classic depth – with titles that include "Fly", "Break Of Dawn", "Little Children", "Speed", "The Times", "Magical Fingers Of Minerva", and "Dead". LP, Vinyl record album

Three full funky albums – and bonus tracks too! First up is Keep On Bumpin & Masterplan – the Kay-Gees' funkiest record ever – a set that's harder and sharper than anything else they'd ever record in years to come! Grabbing this one up is like finding a lost Kool & The Gang album from the early years – which is no surprise, since Ronald Bell of the group produced, and wrote a lot of the songs with the group – maybe acting as their mentor, and definitely giving the young group a great showcase for their boundless energy, and tight skills in the groove department! The band are incredibly tight – with lots of hard drums, choppy guitar, and the rolling party feel that made Kool & The Gang so great during their best years – captured here with a similarly raw production style. There's some great horns that blast in and out, sounding very off-beat at the best moments – like the classic "Who's the Man With the Master Plan", sampled by YZ many years ago – or other funky cuts like "Ain't No Time", "Get Down", and "You've Got to Keep on Bumpin". On Find A Friend, the Kay-Gee's are getting a little disco, but they also manage to lay down some nice funky tracks – in the best Kool & The Gang tradition of their early work! Ronald Bell of Kool & Gang is still working with the group – and he wrote a lot of material and also performs on the LP – which might be part of the album's strength – although the group have clearly got a very strong legacy on their own! The record shows signs of the direction that Kool & The Gang were taking at the time, with a move towards electric keyboards instead of raw funky guitars – but like Kool's work from the period, the use of these keyboards is nicely restrained, and adds some good jazzy elements to the sound, to create a more sophisticated style of funk. Cuts include "Waiting At The Bus Stop", "Mr. Nothin", "STP", "Be Real", "Keep On Saying", "Acknowledgement", and a number of versions of "Find A Friend". On Kilowatt, The Kay-Gees are burning bright – in that razor-sharp approach to funk that made the group one of the best of their generation – able to strongly step on the dancefloor, but without losing any of the rawness of their funky 45 years! The balance is a bit like Fatback at their best – and that group is maybe one of the few we'd match next to the Kay-Gees at this point – and although the basslines are up a bit more than before, they never hit any sort of too-cliched or overdone modes, as in some of the other big funk groups of the period. Guitars riff mightily, lyrics are plenty catchy, and the rest of the instrumentation is right on the money – on cuts that include their "Kay-Gee's Theme Song", plus "Fat Daddy", "Celestial Vibrations", "Space Disco", and "Kilowatt/Invasion". CD features bonus tracks – "Hustle Wit Every Muscle", "Cheek To Cheek (12" mix)", "Kilowatt (12" mix)", and "Kilowatt (12" ext)". CD

Killer work from one of the best 60s soul talents of the Windy City! Major Lance was one of Chicago's first big soul stars – crossing over big on the charts with huge hits for the Okeh label during the early and mid 60s – thanks to some great tunes penned by Curtis Mayfield, and stellar production from the legendary Carl Davis! In a way, Lance's sound was a key culmination of the modes that had been bubbling under in the hometown indies like Vee Jay and Chess – taken slightly to the next level, and brought more into the mainstream by Okeh. Many of the arrangements here are by the massive Johnnie Pate – who gives the record the same sort of brilliance as the best 60s Impressions work on ABC – and the titles include "Ain't No Soul", "Investigate", "Um Um Um Um Um Um", "The Monkey Time", "Wait Till I Get You In My Arms", "Delilah", "Rhythm", "Hey Little Girl", "It's The Beat", "The Matador", "Ain't It A Shame", "You Don't Want Me No More", "You Belong To Me My Love", and "Sometimes I Wonder". CD

Major Lance was one of Chicago's first big soul stars – crossing over big on the charts with huge hits for the Okeh label during the early and mid 60s – and really helping to define the Chicago sound that would rise to even greater heights later in the decade! This 16 track set is a great little overview of Lance's work for Okeh – and many of the tunes were written by Curtis Mayfield and produced by Carl Davis, a key team in the studio that makes for some really killer numbers! Titles include "Come See", "It's The Beat", "Without A Doubt", "The Matador", "Girls", "The Monkey Time", "Delilah", "Um Um Um Um Um", "Mama Didn't Know", "Ain't It A Shame", "Sometimes I Wonder", and "I'm So Lost". CD

The legendary unreleased LP album from Large Professor – recorded for Geffen in the mid 90s, finally seeing official release by Large Professor's own Paul Sea Productions! It's a solid effort, with a vibe that for some reason wasn't speaking to Geffen brass at the time, but it stands up now as a pretty faultless example of solid blueprint beatcraft by one of the scene's pioneers. Some of the production is laidback and jazzy, some has a more booming bass beat, and LP's rhymes are tailored nicely to his beats. Titles include "That Bulls**t", "Hungry", "I Juswanna Chill", "Funky 2 Listen 2", "Mad Scientist", "Hard", "One Plus One" feat Nas (not too far removed from his Large Pro collaborations on Illmatic at this point), "The LP", "Dancin' Girl", "Large Pro:Verbs", "Havin' Fun", "Spacey", "Amaman", "Queens Lounge", "Bowne" and "Big Willie". LP, Vinyl record album

Little Brother returns with another head nodding batch of true school for the oughties – deep rhymes, smooth flows and 100% grade A beats whipped up from dusty crates of the best in the business! As always, it's refreshing to hear Phonte and Big Pooh deliver a gimmick free set from start to finish, reminding us it's not necessary to dig way down into the underground for to wash the taste out of that greasy kids stuff out of your ears. Khrysis is the anchor beat scientist on this album, with appearances by 9th Wonder, Nottz, DJ Babu, DJ Spinna, Kickdrums, RJD2 and others, and guest rhymes by Oh No, Kardinal Offishal, Rhymefest, Skillz and more! 16 tracks in all, keeing the Justus brand viable in today's crowded market, including "Can't Stop Us", "Delusional", "Life Of The Party (rmx)", "Best Kept Secret", "Do It To Death", "Too Late For Us", "Never Leave", "The Pressure", "Stylin", "Cross That Line (rmx)", "Back At It (rmx)" and "Time Of Your Life". CD

Massive! This is probably the best-ever album of rollerskating grooves – and is the most famous entry into a short-lived funk genre that sprung up around the rollerskating craze of the late 70s and early 80s. The rollerskate sound took a tight stepping funk groove from earlier years, and mixed it with the extended instrumental style of club music – creating a sound that was a mix of funk and disco that worked perfectly for skating around a track, and which had a huge influence on the beat of early hip hop. The centerpiece of the album's the massive sample track "Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll" – an instantly recognizable number that features tight vamping guitar and good choppy rhythms. The cut's offered up here in 2 parts – and the rest of the record's just as great, with titles that include "Roller Skate", "We're Gonna Funk You Up", and "Thinking About You Baby". CD features some great bonus tracks – the 12" version of "Bounce Rock Skate Roll (parts 1 & 2)", plus "Jammin Big Guitar" and "Rockin Big Guitar". CD

Excellent "a go-go" soul from Brit beat group phenom Zoot Money – recorded in a style that was very faithful to his roots in US soul and R&B, but with the usual UK touches. The record was recorded live at the Klook's Kleek nightclub in London – and it's got some of the best work we've heard in this mode from the time. Side two features a tasty "James Brown Medley" with some of James' best funky numbers from the time – plus a funky instrumental reading of "Mashed Potato USA". Other tracks include "Florence Of Arabia", "Chauffer", and "Barefootin". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live set by The Monks – that offbeat group of American servicemen who recorded famously in Germany during the 60s, then dropped out of sight for decades until a big wave of interest in their sound during the 90s! This set is maybe the culmination of that interest – as it features the group's first concert performance in decades, and one that has them sounding really amazing – not dusted-off old rockers, but these fantastically sharp instrumentalists who are maybe adding in even more weird bits than before – fronted by singer Gary Burger, who has tremendous energy in driving on both the band and the crowd. Titles include "That's My Girl", "Shut Up", "Monk Time", "Hushie Pushie", "Oh How To Do Now", "We Do Wie Du", "Boys Are Boys", "Monk Jam", and "I Hate You". CD

One of the more obscure Ennio Morricone soundtracks of the 80s – done for an erotic Italian film at the same time he was rising to greater fame for big budget scores in Hollywood! Yet despite the less arty setting of the music here, Morricone is completely at the top of his game – not resorting to electronic shortcuts, as so many of his contemporaries were doing, especially on sexy films and comedies – and instead rolling out a full set of orchestrations that include some amazing woodwind and string passages, sometimes with a rich dramatic vibe, other times with the leaner Morricone modes of the 70s. Titles include "Mini Can Can Grottesco", "Da Vienna A Vienna", "Malessere", "Lei Bensata Da Lui", "Funebre E Pomposo", and "Quattro Frammenti Per Orchestra Da Camera". CD

An overlooked score from a time when Riz Ortolani was really making big waves on the international soundtrack scene – doing music both for films in his homeland and overseas – which may be why this gem of a record never issued at the time! The CAM label only put two tracks out as a 45rpm single, which makes the other 17 here a new discovery for the listener – a great suite of sounds that offers plenty of warm, wonderful variations on the theme – a number that has a slight current of sadness and sentiment, but never too much – and which is balanced out by a few cuts that groove in more of a mod 60s-styled way. CD features 19 tracks in all – handled with the usual care we love from Beat Records! CD

In all the various personas Scratch has gone through, this is perhaps our favorite, as the black super hero Wonderman, releasing loads of hot jams on the comic book inspired Justice League imprint. This 2 disc set collects 49 tracks from that brief period, some of his best early 70s numbers, including Big Youth "Moving Version", Bob Marley & the Wailers "African Herbsman", Junior Byles "Beat Down Babylon", "Fever" and "A Place Called Africa", Dennis Alcapone "Alpha & Omega", The Stingers "Give Me Power" and "Preacher Man", Lloyd Parks "Professor Ironside", the Righteous Flames "One Love, One Heart", Prince Django "Hot Tip" and a boatload of Upsetters tracks, like "Cow Thief Skank", "Freak Out Skank", "Jungle Lion", "Black IPA", "Tipper Special" and "Ital Version", plus much,much more. CD

Maybe the standout album from The Petards – a German group who got their start during the big beat group boom, but who really start to trip out nicely on this album for Liberty! Lyrics are all in English, and sung in a freewheeling style that echoes some of the more soulful psych singers on the American and UK scenes – and although the instrumentation reflects the compact elements of the beat years, they're also filled with really wonderful touches that trip things out in the best way possible – especially on the organ and occasional flute! Songs are well-written and beautifully executed – surprisingly under-indulgent, and with a tunefulness that should have made the album more of an international hit at the time. Titles include "Mekka", The Dream", "Pictures", "Blue Fire Light", "Sunshine Rainshine", "Ruins Of Tookamoon", "Stone By Now", and "My World". LP, Vinyl record album

Prefuse 73 doing his distinctive thing – mood-setting, hypnotic beats that roll from raw and deconstructionist to big and boisterous – with plenty off off-kilter melodic touches between! The range from stripped down and mellow to dense and rollicking is impressive as always, and his way of putting such signature stamp on the craft of abstract electronics an spacey hip hop beatcraft is impressive ever. There's coolly layered vocals too that give it a lot of atmosphere. Titles include "Late To The Party", ""Gravure", "The World Is Bigger", "We Lost Our Beat Tape In Mecca", "In The Blood", "Silver And Gold", "Her Desire Is To Be Left Alone", "Transmission Of Eights" and more. CD

Essential grooves from Tito Puente – a really unique record for the time, and a set that's only grown in power over the years! The album's an all-percussion jam from Puente – one that strips away most other instrumentation, to focus just on heavy drum work from Puente and a core group of players that includes Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, and Patato Valdes! There's only just a bit of bass – played by Robert Rodriguez – to focus the energy of the percussion, and the timbales, congas, and bongos offer up both melodic lines and rhythmic grooves – a groundbreaking sound, recorded brilliantly back in the 50s! The album's got a killer stripped-down feel that you rarely get on other Tito Puente records – and tracks include "Tito on Timbales", "Swinging Mambo", "Congo Beat", "Stick On Bongo", "Tito & Mongo On Timbales", "Four Beat Mambo", and "The Big Four". CD

Sweet silky harmony soul from the trio of Harry Ray, Billy Brown, and Al Goodman – the group's first album under a new name – after some previous indie work as The Moments! The album's got the group really stepping up with a rich new sound – drawing on all the best elements of their New Jersey roots, but hitting harmonies that are even more sublime – and put together perfectly by Lou Toby's arrangements. This debut from the trio's a real classic – proof that the indie group soul sound can make it to the big time – and although the lyrics are a bit off-beat, but that's always part of the charm of the group. Titles include "The Way It Should Be", "Inside Of You", "Treat Her Right", "Deja Vu", "Another Day", and "Special Lady". LP, Vinyl record album

Reflex never had much of a long recorded legacy – but they certainly made their mark with this classic album of 80s electro pop! The tunes follow somewhere in the territory of contemporaries like Human League or Ultravox, but also maybe have a quirkier vibe that's more in the spirit of the indie scene – especially in the ways the keyboard lines and vocals take on all these odd inflections – maybe a nod towards soulful styles, but also a mode that quickly fell out of favor overseas – but which is also what makes the whole thing so completely charming! Titles include the big title hit "The Politics Of Dancing" – and "Hitline", "Hurt", "Couldn't Stand A Day", "Jungle", "Sensitive", "Keep In Touch", "Praying To The Beat", and "Pointless". 2CD version features lots of bonus tracks – "True Lust", "Hurt (12" Pete Smith emotional mix UK version)", "What You Deserve", "The Politics Of Dancing (12" ext mix)", "Cruel World (12" ext mix)", "Praying To The Beat (12" ext mix)", "Flex It (12" ext mix)", "Hit Line (12" ext mix)", "Cut It (12" ext mix)", "Hurt (12" John Luongo emotional mix US version)", "Politics Of Dancing (US 7" version)", "Flex It (7" echo mix)", and "Hurt (US 12" rubber dub mix)". CD

Although Buddy's always been a bit laughable, he was always trying to keep his bag moving, and his band of the late 60s included some pretty darn nice players. The group on this session includes Ernie Watts and Bobby Shew, and the band wails hard and fast in a live setting with lots of tight little numbers. Tracks include "Wack Wack", "Norwegian Wood", "The Beat Goes On", and "Mexicali Nose". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful album from George Russell – and a refreshing change from his overly-academic modernist work! The session's an unusual one – a musical portrait of New York City, performed with an all-star cast that includes John Coltrane, Art Farmer, Bill Evans, Phil Woods, Benny Golson, Max Roach, and Hal McKusick – all working together to paint tones on the tunes that George has crafted to set up his scene of New York in the 50s. Most importantly, though, Jon Hendricks acts as the narrator of the album – talking and scatting in hipster mode, laying out a bit of beat rapportage about the Big Apple, all done in a very cool 50s style that's a bit different from his own vocal work. Titles include "Manhattan", "Big City Blues", "Manhattan-Rico", and "A Helluva Town". LP, Vinyl record album

A big one for Siouxsie and the group – from a time when they were both pushing forth the darker corners of mainstream pop, and making a few surprising turns for the dancefloor tune! Some of the upbeat moments here crossed over surprisingly well in the clubs at the time, but even those still have all the trademark touches intact – fuzzy guitar, space around the edges, and those haunting vocals that were always the lady's greatest calling card. Titles include "The Killing Jar", "Rawhead & Bloodybones", "The Last Beat Of My Heart", "Rhapsody", "Peek A Boo", "Ornaments Of Gold", and "Turn To Stone". CD

The roots of Lisa Stansfield, and lots of great lost moments too – a wealth of rare remixes and other odd bits – and from what we can tell, none of these were used as bonus tracks on the other 2CD reissues of her albums! The depths of Lisa's music knows no bounds – as her strong run of full length records really tops, if not beats the efforts of any of her UK soul contemporaries. But the albums are only part of the picture, as the Stansfield sound has been spread strongly over so many other great collaborations with other artists – including Coldcut, Massive Attack, Frankie Knuckles, and many others all featured in this 3CD set. The package has a great heavy book-styled cover – and features 33 tracks that include "Change (metamorphosis mix)", "What Did I Do To You (anti poll tax dub)", "Set Your Loving Free (low life mix)", "People Hold On (full length disco mix)", "Let's Just Call It Love (feel it mix)", "The Line (Ian O'Brien's benfleet mix)", "Live Together (big beat mix)", "All Around The World (American club mix)", "I'm Leavin (Hex Hector NYC rough mix)", "Never Never Gonna Give You Up (Frankie Knuckles classic club mix)", "What Did I Do To You (Morales mix)", "You Can't Deny It (Sky King mix)", and lots lots more! CD

Lost work from a really obscure period in the career of Mavis Staples – post-Stax, but before her big revival of later years – and a date that has her working with the Holland Dozier Holland time in a mighty nice mode! The classic Mavis vocals are very firmly in place, but the record's also got a warmer glow than usual – great arrangements from Jesse Saunders, who again comes to the record as a bit of a surprise – but really helps make a setting that's very fresh for the Staples sound, especially if you've heard as many records by Mavis as us! The style is great – almost like some of the coolest southern/modern soul blends of the period – and titles include "Love Gone Bad", "Show Me", "Falling In Love", "Beat Well Done", "See What You Started", and "Holding On To Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled set from the lyrical king – the mighty T La Rock, one of the key mid 80s MCs who helped introduce a whole new level of sophistication to hip hop! T La Rock maybe never hit the heights of KRS-One, Rakim, or other contemporaries – but this set has all the sharp fire and intensity that made that moment of new creativity so great – from the edgey production work and scratches by Louie Lou, to the extra help from Mantronik, and even the album's early appearances by Special K and MC Serch – which further the sense of collaboration from the streets that made some of the Fresh Records sets so great. Titles include "Lyrical King", "Back To Burn", "Three Minutes Of Beat Box", "Bust These Lyrics", "This Beat kicks", "Big Beat In London", and "It's Time To Chill". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-titled set from the lyrical king – the mighty T La Rock, one of the key mid 80s MCs who helped introduce a whole new level of sophistication to hip hop! T La Rock maybe never hit the heights of KRS-One, Rakim, or other contemporaries – but this set has all the sharp fire and intensity that made that moment of new creativity so great – from the edgey production work and scratches by Louie Lou, to the extra help from Mantronik, and even the album's early appearances by Special K and MC Serch – which further the sense of collaboration from the streets that made some of the Fresh Records sets so great. Titles include "Lyrical King", "Back To Burn", "Three Minutes Of Beat Box", "Bust These Lyrics", "This Beat kicks", "Big Beat In London", and "It's Time To Chill". CD version includes four bonus tracks "It's Yours (12" radio mix-1984)", "Breakdown (12" version-1985)", "Breaking Bells (12" version-1986)" and "Bass Machine (12" version 1986)". CD

A tasty live set, with a smoking raw groove that you don't always get on Joe's studio albums! The crowd really goes wild for Joe – and with only some small group backing behind him, he's got nothing left to do but go over the top with his vocals! As proof of that, the record includes the great breakbeat track "Papa Was, Too", with a hard funky beat and sample riff that you'll recognize from way back. (Not only that, but the cut's a great answer to Otis & Carla's famous "Tramp".) Other tracks include the hit "Skinny Legs & All" (an answer to "Big Leg Woman"?), plus "Wooden Spoon", "Don't Give Up", and "Show Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Forward, indeed – this this a big step up and some of the best work yet from TM Juke – his debut for Ubiquity! On Forward, the crafty producer/arranger/DJ, pushes the laptop bits and broken beats a little further out to the fringes – and focuses on the richer soul approach we love from his work with Alice Russell! The sound incorporates bits of spacey jazz, electro funk, and hip hop era thump – beat based but percolating sweetly under the vocals the rich aural tapestry! He brings out some great guest vocalists for the groovier soul sounding tunes – including Kinny of Kinny & Horne, Tru Thoughts compatriot Alice Russell, Elmore Judd and others – and the instrumental cuts are just as groovy! "Damn" feat Kinny, "Come Away" feat Sophie Faricy, "Bee's On Mars", "Arrggh!", "Skin" feat Naim, "So Good" feat Alice Russell, "Lady Garden", "Electric Chair" feat Elmore Judd, "Grounded In Fargo", "Life, Rain, Fall" and "Pencils For Dolphins". CD

A fantastic introduction to the world of power pop – that tight, fast, catchy style of music that came about at the same time as punk – and which flourished for a few short years as a more tuneful take on the sound of the underground! Some of the artists here hit big in the years before, others were later smothered in the world of 80s chart hits and music videos – but for a brief, wonderful time, the record racks exploded with great singles and album tracks like these – tunes that almost were a back-to-basics approach after the era of AOR and classic rock, but without some of the sneering attitudes of punk. Most of the artists here are American, and there's a few gems here from the early 70s – key tracks that point the way towards the golden era – all captured beautifully by Ace/Big Beat with their usual detailed notes and history on the music. Titles include "Let Go" by Dirty Looks, "Come On Let's Go" by The Paley Brothers with The Ramones, "Baby It's You" by The Boys, "Nothing Comes Close" by Bill Lloyd, "Better Than Anyone Else" by The Toms, "Nuclear Boy" by 20/20, "Rock & Roll Is Dead" by The Rubinos, "One World" by Utopia, "Andy Please" by Van Duren & The Jody Stephens, "The Trains" by Nashville Ramblers, "Shake Some Action (first version)" by The Flamin Groovies, "What I Like About You" by The Romantics, "I Need That Record" by The Tweeds, "Looking For The Magic" by Dwight Twilley Band, "Kerri" by Robert Johnson, "Radio Heart" by The Secrets, and "Teen Line" by The Shivvers. CD

An assortment of tracks recorded together under the Downbeat name, but which was really designed to showcase the budding jazz talents on late 50s Dot Records! The set kicks off with a big band, Basie-ish number – "Blues Over Easy", performed by Manny Alban and jazz greats that include Nick Travis, Gene Quill, and Jerome Richardson. Next up is the Tony Scott quintet with Jimmy Knepper – on a version of "Scrapple From The Apple" – followed by 2 tracks by Steve Allen – one trio, one with a quartet with Georgie Auld – "Rose Room" and "The Fast Thing In C". Paul Horn follows up with "Give Me The Simple Life" – and the set's completed by "Dougy's Buggy" performed by the Don Elliott Quintet, with Elliott on trumpet and vibes, plus bass clarinet by Hal McKusick. LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of reggae, rocksteady, and blue beat work from the late 60s – all of it originally released under the guidance of producer Dandy – also a reggae artists of his own, with roots in Kingston, and working here with a big impact on the UK scene! The albums here were all originally issued on the Down Town imprint – a small sub label that Trojan Records gave to Dandy for his own projects – which resulted in the two killer compilations Red Red Wine volumes 1 and 2 – a great overview of some of the strongly soul-influenced sounds that were bubbling up in London at the time. Dandy himself is one of the key artists on the collection – and titles include "Move Your Mule", "I'm Your Puppet", "Reggae In Your Jeggae", "Got To Come Back", "Raining In My Heart", and "Can't Get Used To Losing You" by Dandy – plus "Red Red Wine" and "I'm Gonna Give Her All The Love I've Got" by Tony Tribe, "Someday We'll Be Together" and "Love Me Tonight" by Audrey, "Lover's Question" and "Spreading Love" by Gene Rondo, "Lead Them" by Desmond Riley, "Games People Play" by The Israelites, and "Song Byrd" by Lyndon Johns. CD2 begins with the Trojan classic Blow Your Horn by Rico & The Rudies – a classic early album from Rico – the legendary Jamaican trombonist who's gotta be one of the few people who can pose with his instrument and still look pretty badass overall! That quality also comes through in Rico's music – a famous lead trombone sound on countless Jamaican recordings from the ska years onwards – really given some great time here in the spotlight on a set of tunes that soar out with lots of rough rocksteady rhythms! Rico blows strongly and soulfully – on titles that include "Rico's Message", "Niyah Man", "Caribbean Serenade", "Jumping The Gun", "Mighty Dan", "Session Begin", "Biafra", and "Quando Quando" – and the album also features some guest appearances on "The Lion" by Dandy, and on "Muma Muma" by The Israelites. Last up is Your Musical Doctor – a full album with Dandy as the lead singer on his own – with titles that include "Touch Of Poison", "Everybody Loves A Winner", "Gumption Feeling", "Meeting Over Yonder", "Here I Go Again", "Come On Home", and "Run Girl". 2CD set features 51 tracks in all – with a few more bonus tracks too! CD

A fantastic collection that looks at the relationship between American soul and reggae in a very unique way – not the early crossovers of soul and rocksteady in the 60s, but a big wave of disco-inspired sounds in the 70s! The set brings together some great Jamaican and British versions of American club tracks from the late 70s and early 80s, plus some soul cuts from earlier years – often done with rhythms that are slower and more bad-stepping, in a true reggae mode – but with songs and lyrics that are lifted right from bit hits by artists like Chaka Khan, Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, and others! The mix of modes is wonderful – and maybe comes across even better than on some of the Afro disco records of the period – thanks to a great track selection, in the usual Soul Jazz standard. Titles include "I'm Every Woman" by Latisha, "In The Rain" by rRnest Ranglin, "Reggae Beat Goes On" by Family Choice, "Ring My Bell" by Blood Sisters, "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" by Derrick Laro & Trinity, "Do It Nice & Easy" by Chariot Riders, "Don't Let It Go To Your Head" by Black Harmony, "Upside Down" by Carol Cool, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" by Sharon Forrester, "Rappers Delight" by Xanadu & Sweet Lady, "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" by Risco Connection, "Am I The Same Girl" by Charmaine Burnette, and "Be Thankful For What You Got" by One Blood. LP, Vinyl record album

A really great collection of jazzy groovers – one that effortlessly combines older material and newer recordings, all with a great ear that never tires in its pursuit of the groove! The blend of old and new is a bit like some of the collections we used to love from Gilles Peterson back in the last century – but Paul Murphy definitely has his own style and way of choosing a tune, and like Peterson, he has a great way of setting a new sort of fire with jazz – one that will burn strongly for generations to come! Titles include "Yatra-Ta" by Terje Terasmaa, "African Mailman" by Rhythmagic Orchestra, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Blue Mode, "Foot In The Door" by Onward International, "Zombie" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Emnete (live)" by Imperial Tiger Orchestra, "4 Beat Cha Cha Cha" by Lucas Van Merwijk & His Cubop City Big Band, "Tribute To Mulatu" by Patchworks, "Koumba Fri Fri" by Mamelon, "Sorrow Tears & Blood" by Shola Adisa Farrar & Florian Pellissier Quartet, and "Mambo De La Pinta" by Art Pepper. LP, Vinyl record album

The sharp Bomb Squad-spearhead soundtrack to Juice – standing the test of time very well over the years, thanks to the genuine dopeness of prime early 90s tracks by Cypress Hill, Brand New Heavies, Eric B & Rakim, EPMD and more! Some of the nicest includes Naughty By Nature's "Uptown Anthem", Eric B & Rakim's "Juice – Know The Ledge", Too Short's "So You Wanna Be A Gangsta", Son Of Bazerk's "What Could Be Better" and Big Daddy Kane delivering his long lost fast rhyme style while riding a very hyped Bomb Squad beat on "Nuff Respect". CD

A fantastic companion to the book of the same name by author Tim Lawrence – the excellent Life & Death On The New York Dance Floor – which explores all the cool strands of funky punk, avant rock, and arty grooves that exploded on the New York scene after the decline of disco! Some of this work might fall into the post-disco side of the spectrum, other cuts are maybe a bit more post-punk – and together, they represent a really fantastic wellspring of new creativity – at levels that were years ahead of their time! Titles on this first volume include "Desire" by Tuxedomoon, "Drum Mode" by Gray, "Saturn Drive" by Alan Vega, "Jam Hot (Rhumba Rock)" by Johnny Dynell & New York 88, "Big Business (dance mix)" by David Byrne, "Beat Bop" by Rammellzee Vs K-Rob, "Hold Up" by 3 Teens Kill 4, and "Go Bang (LP version)" by Dinosaur L. LP, Vinyl record album

British rock, but with plenty of soul – as these artists were some of the first in the world to be influenced by the sound of early Motown Records – then set about trying to create their own strand of Detroit soul! The influence of Motown on the sound of so many other scenes has been well documented over the years – but this cool little set gets right to the heart of the matter – by representing the kind of British singers and groups who were some of the first to revel in the spirit of Berry Gordy and his creations – then find a way to move things forward with new recordings of their own! As always with Ace Records, the set is way more than just music – as there's a big booklet of notes, with details on all the many tracks and artists – a double dozen selection, with tracks that includes "Sweet Thing" by Georgie Fame, "Mickey's Monkey" by The Hollies, "No 1 In Your Heart" by Herbie Goins & The Nighttimers, "Heat Wave" by Beverley Jones & The Prestons, "One Of These Days" by Guy Darrell, "I Want To Go Back There Again" by Bill Kenwright & The Runaways, "The Way You Do The Things You Do" by Elkie Brooks, "I'll Be Doggone" by Billy J Kramer with The Dakotas, "As Long As I Know He's Mine" by Julie Grant, "Money" by The Undertakers, "I Want A Love I Can See" by John Leyton & The LeRoys, "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow" by The Roulettes, "Every Little Bit Hurts" by Spencer Davis Group, "You Really Got A Hold On Me" by Small Faces, "Never Leave Your Baby's Side" by Tony Jackson, "No Good Without You" by The Birds, and "Let's Go Somewhere" by Beryl Marsden. CD

Peanut Butter Wolf gathers the Stones Throw masses – compiling all new, all exclusive ST tunes from veterans and fresh talent alike – for a heady companion piece to the 2K8 B-Zombie War video game from 2K Sports! We'll be frank and admit we don't know as much about video games as we do vulgar, latenight cable cartoons, but this is a tight stand alone set of fresh Stones Throw hip hop & funk errata. It introduces us to some future allstars such as Supreme Team, Dam-Funk and others – plus worthy unreleased material from Madlib, MED, Dilla, Aloe Blacc and more – plus the return of MF Doom, plus guest appearances by Q-Tip and Talib Kweli! Titles include "See" by Supreme Team (Madlib & Karriem Riggins), "Break It Down" by MED, "Make It Fast" by Guilty Simpson, "Lightworking" by J Dilla feat Q-Tip & Talib Kweli, "Legendary Lyricist Pt 2" by Percee P & J Rocc, "Mash's Revenge" by Dilla feat MF Doom & Guilty Simpson, "Action" (Rap version)" by Oh No, "Trouble" by Beat Konducta, "Find A Way" by Aloe Blacc, "Sidewayz" by Dam-Funk, "Basketball Beat" by Koushik, "Big Girl, Skinny Girl" by CZZ Kidtronik feat Rockola and more. CD

Long before "Space Oddity" or "Ziggy Stardust", early American rockers headed right for the skies – inspired by a big wave of b-grade science fiction films and paperbacks of the 50s – which proved to be great inspiration for fantastic space-themed tunes like these! A few cuts fall into the territory of the novelty hit, but most are hard-rocking numbers with a strong rockabilly bent – tuned towards themes of outer space and rocket travel – all pretty revolutionary for the time! Titles include "Satellite Rock" by The Rebelaires, "X15" by Johnny Bond, "Rocket" by Joe Bennett & The Sparkletones, "The Invasion Is Coming" by The Invasion, "Man From Mars" by Butch Paulson, "Rockin On The Moon" by Deacon & The Rock Rollers, "Creature From Outer Space" by Sonny Day & The Tony Ray Trio, and "First Man On Mars" by Jack Fautheree. CD

Nasty cats with plenty of attitude – all stepping out here in an assortment of weird and wonderful singles from the farther reaches of the indie underground at the end of the 50s and start of the 60s – the kind of strange, offbeat records you'd associate with a package issued under the name of The Cramps! The CD features tunes that are a perfect accompaniment to the juvenile delinquent paperback rage of the 50s – and titles include "Motorcycle Mack" by Terry Ann, "Betty Lou's Got A New Tattoo" by The Creep, "Savage" by Alan Barnicoat, "Juvenile Delinquent" by Ronnie Allen, "Wild Boy" by Rock Holman, "She's A Moonlighter" by Johnny Carlton, "Little Blonde Girl" by Don French, "The Big Black Jacket" by Marcel St Jean, and "The Wild One" by Ricky & The Stompers. CD